Waste & Recycling

Revised rubbish and recycling collections between Christmas Day and Saturday 13 January

Your household should have received printed information about the changes to recycling and rubbish collections called Recycling News.

A full list of the changes is available our website here. You can also download a calendar of future scheduled collections at your property.

Collections will return to the normal schedule starting Monday, 15 January 2024.

Please note: If you receive time-banded collections, your collection days will be different from those shown above.

You can find more information about collections here.

Garth Road Household Reuse and Recycling Centre – Christmas Opening Hours

Please note: Visits need to be booked in advance.

For cars, bicycles, and pedestrians:

Open 8 am to 4 pm seven days a week, including bank holidays, except for the following:

• Christmas Eve: 8 am to midday
• Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day: Closed

For vans and trailers:

Open Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 1.30 pm, Saturdays 9 am to midday, and Sundays closed.

• Christmas Eve: 8 am to midday
• Bank holidays, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day: Closed

You can find more information about Garth Road here.

Free kerbside Christmas Tree Collection Service – January 2024

Residents should put their tree out by 6am on Monday, 8 January 2024, for a free kerbside collection service. The tree will be collected as soon as possible.

• To ensure successful recycling, all decorations should be removed and the tree taken out of its pot.
• The tree should be placed close to the front boundary of the property, visible to collection crews but not blocking the pavement. For flats with shared bins, trees should be placed outside the bin store without blocking access.

Note: For anyone who subscribes to a garden waste collection service, there is an option to cut up their Christmas tree and place it in the garden waste bin.

You can find more information about Christmas tree collections here.

Merton Link and Libraries

Our reception (Merton Link) at the Civic Centre and Merton Libraries will be operating seasonal hours:

Friday 22 December	09.00 – 17.00
Saturday 23 December	Closed
Sunday 24 December	Closed
Monday 25 December	Closed
Tuesday 26 December	Closed
Wednesday 27 December	09.00 – 17.00
Thursday 28 December	09.00 – 17.00
Friday 29 December	09.00 – 17.00
Saturday 30 December	Closed
Sunday 31 December	Closed
Monday 01 January 2024	Closed
Tuesday 02 January	09.00 – 17.00 (back to normal)

Libraries:

Friday 22 December	09.30 – 19.00
Saturday 23 December	09.30 – 17.00
Sunday 24 December	Closed
Monday 25 December	Closed
Tuesday 26 December	Closed
Wednesday 27 December	09.30 – 19.00
Thursday 28 December	09.30 – 19.00
Friday 29 December	09.30 – 19.00
Saturday 30 December	09.30 – 17.00
Sunday 31 December	Closed
Monday 01 January 2024	Closed
Tuesday 02 January	09.00 – 19.00 (back to normal)

Gritting

Please follow the council on social media, we monitor cold weather reports and post information about when our gritters are scheduled to go out.

Facebook

Twitter/X

Parks and green spaces

We will continue to cover essential duties in our parks and green spaces over the festive period such as emptying litter bins and playground checks.

Rough sleeping support

If you become aware of a potential rough sleeper, please make a referral, with as much detail as possible about the individual and their location, to:

• Night Duty during out-of-hours on 020 8770 5000, who will, where appropriate, arrange emergency accommodation

You can find more information about rough sleeping here.

Domestic violence support

Incidents of domestic abuse increase over the holidays. There are a range of council-supported services available for anyone experiencing domestic abuse. Visit: www.merton.gov.uk/domesticviolence.  

My Merton e-newsletter

Keep up to date with the latest news from your council over the festive season and beyond by signing up to our weekly My Merton e-newsletter: www.merton.gov.uk/newsletter.